First published
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by Alex Wynick, Reporter covering Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys. Call me on 01865 425403

WHEN was the last time you did a good deed?

Students gathered in Bonn Square, Oxford, yesterday to make sure it was a regular occurrence by encouraging passers-by to pledge to do so.

They got the public to write down what they were going to do and formed a paper chain out of their answers.

It was part of Student Volunteering Week, which runs until Friday.

Lucie Coussmaker, manager at Oxford Hub and organiser of the week, said: “It’s really important for students to engage with the local community.

“Student Volunteering Week is an opportunity to engage in a one-off volunteering event, but we’re hoping lots of people will use this as a springboard to get involved long-term.”

The 22-year-old added: “We don’t want it to be that they do a good deed on Monday and then forget about it.

“Oxford can provide very good academic training, but we want students to look outside of that. It’s really important that they get involved with other things outside of the Oxford bubble.”

Henry Owen, an Oxford University student who has helped organise the week, added: “This week is a great way to promote what activities we do to volunteer, and showing that a lot of students are doing it and that it’s normal to do it.

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“It’s hard for students to volunteer, especially at Oxford where things are so busy, and this way they don’t have to commit to the whole week, but just bits of it. Everyone will be available at some point during the week.”